Google loves projects. It's not like that's a state secret or anything. I'm sure if they could they'd launch even more projects every year, let them test the waters with real users, and proudly display that "beta" tag for the whole world to see. Google's beta efforts aren't new, they aren't going anywhere anytime soon, and they also don't necessarily mean we'll ever see a final, non-beta-tag-boasting project meet the final requirements.
Public closures of Google features, apps, or functionality isn't rare. A few years back, Google was pretty quick with a swing of their digital axe, closing things like Wave. Nothing new, again, because Google launches things all the time, tries new ideas, and they do it in the best way possible: with consumers actually using it. Fielding it out there, in the wild, is far better than keeping it in-house, in smaller numbers. Sure, some folks out there in the real world may fall in love with whatever they're beta testing, but we should all know the end result isn't guaranteed.
So, Google loves projects. They love pushing new ideas, making sure that their content is well outside of the box, and doing it all in a way that people actually want to get their hands on it. Making cool things is only good if people want to try it, and thanks to Google's methodology and inter-connectedness to its already implanted services (like Search, mainly), new things are generally well received into the library of new devices or services.
Google Glass was one of those ideas, and now in 2014, it's one year closer to being a final retail device.
Glass may be a step into the science-fiction more so than any other Google Project, though, and its acceptance into the real world has been anything but smooth. Glass has seen its fair share of bans from establishments, recorded plenty of arguments over the device, and shared its time in the limelight with controversy. For a lot of people who like the idea of Glass, there are plenty of folks who don't. This argument could be made for plenty of devices, obviously, but with Glass's still unreleased nature, the wearable piece of technology could potentially be on unsteady footing moving forward.
I don't think a lot of people would be shocked if Google axed Glass, despite knowing the company has always planned on bringing the headset(s) to the consumer market eventually. I'm not saying that I'm expecting Google to do it, mind you -- I don't. At least, not yet, or any time soon, really. I think Google still has plenty of room to make a case for itself, or for Google to make the case for the wearable and its functionality. Things can always change (for the better), and I'm looking forward to see how Google makes those changes.
However, now that Android Wear is here, the real deal, and coming very soon to smartwatches from LG, Motorola, and others, I can't help but wonder if Google is now refocusing their attention. As far as I'm concerned, Android Wear is getting far more support, both from manufacturers and consumers, than Glass ever did, and this is only the beginning. It's only going to get more support, more functionality, and better ideas to bring it to market.
Google can obviously have more than one project on the burner at one time, even ones that are meant for the consumer market. That's a good thing, in fact, because it means they can continue to test new ideas, see how they interact with one another, and change what they need to change before all the projects are ready for consumer purchase. Glass is still getting tweaked and refined, but as far as I'm concerned Android Wear is getting all the love and attention.
"Concerned," but not really concerned, because I honestly think Android Wear is a much more . . . consumer friendly idea and concept. I think wearable headsets are great in sci-fi flicks, but I'm just not sure I'd consider it for myself, and I know a lot of people who've already written the device off. Android Wear, with a device like the Moto 360, though? Yeah, they're all over that -- and I know I can't wait to get that thing wrapped around my wrist.
So, my question to you is pretty simple: If you had to choose (and for the sake of this article, you do) between Google Glass or Android Wear, as the wearable device to promote every single day, which one would you choose? Let me know!